Chapter 87#

Yan Heqing’s eyelashes fluttered, and he leaned onto Lu Lin’s back.

Just like last time at Huai Mountain, Lu Lin’s back felt very secure.

The stairwell was lit by low-wattage lights. Neither of them spoke, only the sound of steady footsteps could be heard.

Just down two floors to the parking lot, when Lu Lin was about to put Yan Heqing down, he found that he had fallen asleep.

His thin face was half-buried in his back, sleeping quietly. He was exhausted today.

Lu Lin’s sharp profile softened unprecedentedly at this moment. He didn’t open the car door, turned around, and slowly walked home carrying Yan Heqing on his back.

It was almost eleven o’clock. There were few pedestrians on the road, only occasional car lights flashing by. The night breeze was neither cold nor hot, and the scent of unknown flowers floated in the air.

For the first time, Lu Lin hoped the road had no end. He wanted to keep walking like this with Yan Heqing on his back.

The road had an end, but home was there. Just past midnight, they arrived at the small apartment Yan Heqing rented.

The apartment building had already fallen asleep, and even the motion-sensor lights in the hallway didn’t turn on. Borrowing the faint light from outside, Lu Lin stopped in front of the old iron door.

Guessing the key was in Yan Heqing’s pocket, just as he was about to free a hand, Yan Heqing woke up at some point, took out the key, inserted it into the keyhole, turned it gently, and the door opened.

Lu Lin didn’t put Yan Heqing down either, carrying him into the room before putting him down.

Yan Heqing turned on the light, and the small room instantly brightened. Lu Lin didn’t change his shoes, touched his head, “Rest early, remember to apply medicine.” He was about to leave.

Yan Heqing looked at him, “You can stay.”

After saying it, Yan Heqing realized the ambiguity in his words.

For adult couples, staying doesn’t just mean literally staying.

His pupils flickered slightly.

After Lu Lin’s surprise, he leaned forward to hug Yan Heqing, lowered his head, and kissed his eyes.

“Next time, I have something to do. I’ll come over again tomorrow.”

Then he let go and left.

The hallway motion-sensor light turned on this time. Until the footsteps disappeared and the sensor lights went out one by one, Yan Heqing closed the door.

Standing against the wall for 15 minutes, Yan Heqing let his thoughts rest, rarely thinking about anything.

After standing against the wall, he went into the bathroom to take a shower. While drying his body after washing, he looked in the mirror and found a bruise on his right shoulder.

Actually, it didn’t hurt, or rather Yan Heqing didn’t feel the pain. This minor injury was nothing to him.

A moment later, Yan Heqing opened the bathroom cabinet drawer and found a jar of ointment.

It was the herbal ointment Lu Lin gave him, with a small jar left.

The pale green ointment felt cool on the wound. Yan Heqing lowered his head and blew on it, then put on his loungewear.

…

The next day was full of classes again. After four classes in the morning, Yan Heqing didn’t go to lunch first. He got the lab key and went to see the lab first.

The lab was in another separate building, much quieter than the teaching building.

The lab assigned to Yan Heqing was on the fourth floor. The old building had no elevator, only stairs.

The sun came out today, casting dappled shadows in the stairwell with light that wasn’t scorching.

Just as he reached the fourth floor, Yan Heqing ran into Gu Xingye.

More accurately, Gu Xingye was specifically waiting for him.

Gu Xingye was still wearing a white lab coat. His gaze fell on Yan Heqing, and he smiled, “Fengzhi woke up.”

During the second class, Yan Heqing received a call from Lin’s mother. Lin Fengzhi woke up, and apart from external injuries, there were no major problems.

Yan Heqing responded and was about to walk forward.

“Yan Heqing.” Gu Xingye called him. “How about cooperating?”

Gu Xingye found a reason, “One plus one is greater than two for us.”

Yan Heqing politely refused, “No thanks, I want to try it myself.”

Gu Xingye chuckled lightly, “I thought you wouldn’t let emotions affect your decisions. It seems I was wrong. This project is not only for Peking University, it’s nationwide. Any life science student would want to join this top team to learn.”

Yan Heqing said calmly: “Think whatever you want.” He lifted his foot and entered the lab next door.

Gu Xingye stood there for a few seconds, scratched his forehead, sighed, put his hands in his pockets, and went downstairs to eat.

Yan Heqing stayed in the lab for the whole afternoon. After school, he received Lu Lin’s WeChat message on time, sharing a location.

The map showed it was only a few hundred meters away from Yan Heqing.

Yan Heqing took off his white coat, washed his hands clean, and followed the map to find Lu Lin.

Lu Lin was waiting for Yan Heqing at the side exit of Peking University. From a distance, he saw a thin figure walking towards him.

The weather was warming up. Yan Heqing wore a black cardigan over a white T-shirt today, light blue jeans, and carried a backpack. The setting sun enveloped him, finally looking like a carefree college student. The corners of Lu Lin’s mouth turned up slightly. When Yan Heqing came over, he rubbed the top of his soft head, “Go eat first?”

Yan Heqing was indeed a little hungry. He took out his meal card from his pocket, “Eat at the cafeteria?”

Lu Lin laughed, “I remember the clay pot rice in the No. 3 cafeteria is good. Is it still there?”

Yan Heqing hadn’t been to the No. 3 cafeteria; it was relatively far from his classroom. He took out his phone to search, nodded, “Still there, moved to the second floor.”

Talking, the two entered the campus again and walked towards the No. 3 cafeteria.

Past the peak hours, there were still quite a few students in the No. 3 cafeteria. Yan Heqing swiped for two clay pot rice dishes. Lu Lin wanted the minced meat clay pot rice, and his was the beef brisket clay pot rice. The price was very affordable, and it came with a bowl of pumpkin soup and a few cold dishes, including smashed cucumber and cold shredded potatoes.

Finding an empty seat to sit down, just as Yan Heqing was about to start eating, Lu Lin used a spoon to scoop a spoonful of minced meat into his bowl first, “Eat more, you’ve lost weight again recently.”

Yan Heqing didn’t refuse and finished the clay pot rice, pumpkin soup, and cold dishes cleanly.

After eating and putting the tray in the return area, Yan Heqing’s phone rang.

It was Ge Tongyuan. The two had exchanged numbers last night.

“Thank goodness, Lin Fengzhi woke up.” Ge Tongyuan breathed a huge sigh of relief, “Heard he has to stay in the hospital for a while. Shall we make a date to visit him another day?”

Next week is the May Day holiday. Yan Heqing replied politely, “After May Day.”

Ge Tongyuan was extremely envious, “You’re going out to play for May Day? Take lots of photos and send them to me. I’m so miserable, I have to stay home and be my sister’s coolie during May Day.”

Yan Heqing agreed. Ge Tongyuan chattered for a good while before hanging up. Yan Heqing put away his phone, and Lu Lin asked, “The student surnamed Ge from yesterday?”

When Ge Tongyuan asked Yan Heqing for his number, Lu Lin was present. Yan Heqing nodded and walked out of the No. 3 cafeteria side by side with him, “Mn.”

Lu Lin laughed, “Rarely see you take the initiative to contact others.”

“There’s a reason.” Yan Heqing suddenly popped out a sentence.

Lu Lin didn’t pursue it. They left the cafeteria, walked forward for a while, and entered the tree-lined path leading to the side gate. The sky was dim, and it was quiet all around. With just the two of them, Lu Lin held Yan Heqing’s hand, slowly interlacing their fingers, “Hands are still cold. Go see a doctor when we come back from May Day.”

Chatting, the two walked out of the side gate and arrived at the family housing area.

Old-style buildings, the highest being 6 floors. Lu Lin’s apartment was on the 3rd floor, just right, not too damp, and not too hard to climb.

A two-bedroom, two-living room layout. Also an old apartment, but worlds apart from the one Yan Heqing rented. It had north-south ventilation and a large balcony overlooking the Peking University campus. The floor was fully paved with wood, and the walls were painted with milk tea-colored latex paint. Someone must come regularly to clean it; the room was very clean.

Lu Lin never let go of Yan Heqing’s hand, taking him around the room, “Take a good look, decorate it according to your ideas.”

Before Yan Heqing could speak, he laughed again, “Didn’t forget, right? You lost the bet yesterday.”

Yan Heqing didn’t forget. He scored a goal and had to move here. He withdrew his gaze, “It’s quite good, no need to change.”

“It’s been a long time, the wiring is aging and poses a hidden danger, it must all be replaced.” Lu Lin said naturally, “You still have to live here for three years.”

Both tacitly didn’t mention the two-month trial relationship. Yan Heqing was silent for a moment and acquiesced. The two didn’t stay in the apartment for too long before leaving. However, Lu Lin didn’t let Yan Heqing go home but took him to a place.

Entering the store, Yan Heqing realized it was a furniture city.

The entire mall was for furniture and home furnishings.

It was cleared in advance. The huge mall was brightly lit, with only one clerk left in each shop to receive them.

Yan Heqing was a little surprised, “Looking at furniture now?”

Lu Lin led him into the first store, “Pick the furniture you like first, and determine the decoration style based on the furniture.”

Yan Heqing didn’t have any preferences, nor did he understand these things. He just followed Lu Lin and listened to the clerk’s introduction. The two were very efficient in buying things. In a short while, the sofa, bookcase, and dining table were all decided. They were walnut wood picked by Yan Heqing.

Yan Heqing liked the quiet and gentle texture of wood.

Finally, picking the bed.

This time Lu Lin didn’t let Yan Heqing choose. He led Yan Heqing to a walnut wood bed and smiled, “Also walnut wood, let’s go with this one.”

Yan Heqing estimated the bed was at least 2 meters. He subconsciously looked for other smaller beds, “Too big, change to a small…”

Lu Lin listened patiently until he finished, then touched his hair again, a faint emotion flowing in his black eyes, “The room can fit it, don’t worry.”

Yan Heqing keenly sensed that Lu Lin wasn’t very happy.

But definitely not because of this bed, it was something else.

Yan Heqing nodded, “Okay.”

After picking the furniture, the decoration style was basically determined. Lu Lin let Yan Heqing get in the car first, and he went to the restroom.

——

At the same time in the hospital, Lin Fengzhi looked at the snow-white wall with lifeless eyes, having not spoken for a day.

Lin’s mother was full of anxiety, “Zhizhi, what’s wrong with you? Say something, don’t scare mom. Does it still hurt somewhere?”

Lin Fengzhi still had no reaction.

Seeing this, Lin’s mother was worried sick, covering her mouth and crying softly.

Seeing Lin’s mother crying, Lin Fengyi suddenly got angry, “Lin Fengzhi, can you be sensible! Mom is talking to you, what is your attitude!”

Lin’s mother hurriedly persuaded Lin Fengyi, “He’s not feeling well, don’t…”

“He’s not feeling well, are you feeling well? Am I feeling well?” Lin Fengyi exploded completely, “I didn’t even go to work today, coaxed him all day, and he didn’t say a word! Even if he’s sulking, he should give a reason!” He stepped forward and lifted Lin Fengzhi’s quilt, “Answer! Mom is asking you!”

Lin Fengzhi still didn’t have any reaction. He curled up, like an empty shell without a soul.

“Fuck!” Lin Fengyi couldn’t hold back and cursed, “Count me as being cheap!”

He put his arm around Lin’s mother to go home. Lin’s mother was unwilling and was pulling back when Lin Fengzhi finally spoke, “Where is my phone?”

…

Lu Lin’s phone was in the car, vibrating constantly. The incoming call was from an unsaved number.

It rang about seven or eight times.

Yan Heqing waited for the phone to be completely quiet before taking out his phone and dialing Lin Fengzhi’s number.

Beep, beep, beep…

A long wait, but Yan Heqing was quite patient. When it ended with no answer, he continued to call back. Back and forth six times. Through the windshield, Yan Heqing saw Lu Lin coming back. At the same time, the call was finally connected.

On the other side was the sound of silent breathing.

Yan Heqing spoke first, “Lu Lin is not here, what do you want with him?”